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By SCOTT MARTIN, Staff Writer 10/14/2007

enlarge Staff photo by Joe Phelan

MAKING A SPLASH: Lawrence’s Tiarah McKeen, left, and Cony’s Morgan Beede, center, splash toward the finish line during the last quarter-mile of the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday afternoon at University of Maine at Augusta.

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Hunt, a sophomore at Mt. Blue High School, took the lead about a mile and half into the 3.1 mile girls race Saturday at the Kennebec Valley Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships at the University of Maine at Augusta. She had no problems hanging onto it.

Hunt finished first in the Class A race with a time of 20 minutes, 34.9 seconds, well ahead of second-place finisher Caroline Webster of Brunswick, who finished in 21:17.9.

"I was like, just go for it," Hunt said. "I didn't want to (get in the lead) and not have the energy at the end, but I knew I had it in me."

Hunt helped Mt. Blue to a third-place finish in the Class A girls championship. Mt. Blue finished with 86 points, behind Brunswick with 33 and Brewer with 56. For the Lawrence High School girls, Tiarah McKeen finished sixth with a time of 27:47.1.

For the Mt. Blue boys, Eric Marceau finished third to help the Cougars to a second-place finish in the Class A boys race. Marceau finished with a time of 17:00.3, behind Lewiston's Mohamed Noor (16:37.7) and Bangor's Riley Masters (16:43.9).

Noor led Lewiston to the team title. Lewiston finished with 47 points, ahead of Maranacook with 87.

In Class B girls, Maranacook won the Class B girls championship thanks to a second-place finish by Jenny Monsulick.

Maranacook finished with 50, ahead of Leavitt with 55 and Medomak Valley with 56. Waterville placed fourth with 104.

Medomak Valley won the Class B boys team title with 48 points.

Leavitt took second place with 65 and Maranacook third with 87.

Hunt had expected going into the race to take her time and make a move late. She made her decision early to go for it and the moved paid off handsomely.

"I wanted to go out slow, because I didn't want to pass everyone at the beginning because I may not have it at the end," Hunt said. "But then I said, 'Wait, I can do this.' "

Marceau's game plan was to hang with the lead pack and hope to make his move at the end as well. He stayed with the pack of Noor, Masters, Cony's Luke Fontaine and Morse's Jason Kaake for the first couple miles of the race.

Noor pulled away from the pack in the last half-mile, and Marceau didn't have the strength to keep up.

"It was really close for the first two miles, everyone fighting for the lead and staying together," Marceau said.

"With about a mile to go, it separated to me, Riley and Mohamed. Me and Mohamed pushed it into the last down hill, but my arms cramped up and the last half-mile everyone broke away."

Scott Martin -- 621-5618

smartin@centralmaine.com

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